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Happy 100th: Celebrating the life of Rose Carpenter - Seacoastonline.com

Carpenter first came to Newmarket is just as remarkable.Carpenter was born in Birmingham, England, Oct. 7, 1919, and grew up on a farm. She said growing up, she consistently drew her fathers ire because she never wanted to learn to ride a bicycle and while she knew how to ride a horse, she didnt like to.I was the only person in England who didnt ride a bicycle, Carpenter said laughing.At the onset of World War II, Carpenter said she and her family would constantly hear German bombers overhead and she spent six months living in a bomb shelter with her family. She said Nazi pilots would use a monument in town as a reference point during their bombing runs.In 1944, American forces were stationed in a nearby housing estate, which abutted her parents farm. Carpenter said the American soldiers were generally seen as rude and a nuisance to the wider community.All the GIs with the exception of one that is.His name was John Carpenter and his future wife Rose said, he wasnt much of a city man so while he was walking off base one day he struck up a conversation with Roses father, who took an immediate liking to him and welcomed him on his farm to meet his family. From that point on, the family would regularly host John on their farm for the duration of his stay in England. Their story is captured in the book, They Also Serve Who Stand and Wait, which chronicles the history of the U.S. Army being stationed in Birmingham.Military police were stationed just outside the gate to prevent GIs from causing trouble in the community, Rose said. At first, I almost died when my father brought a GI to the house. (Later on), my brother would meet John by a fence and give him 'civi' clothes so he could sneak out and visit us.John Carpenter was shipped off to fight in France in days after the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944, but stayed in touch with Roses family through letters. Whenever her family would hear from Carpenter, she said she would take the responsibility of reading his letters as a form of entertainment for all of them.My grandmother knew John was fixing on mom when she stopped reading his letters to the family, Roses daughter Deb Grochmal said.John returned to England on 30-day leave from the Army in March 1946 to propose to Rose. John and Rose married in Birmingham and they spent a romantic honeymoon in London trying to obtain the necessary paperwork for her to join him in the United States through the Red Cross.John had to ret... https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20191019/happy-100th-celebrating-life-of-rose-carpenter

Wild Honey Flower Truck is Birmingham's florist on wheels - Alabama NewsCenter

Kelsey Sizemore and her husband, Josh, saw similar flower operations outside of Alabama.“We had seen a couple of similar businesses in other cities and we thought it was something that Birmingham would really love,” Kelsey Sizemore said.If you’re going to have a flower truck, it has to start with the truck.“We started by looking at trucks on Craigslist and eBay,” Sizemore said. “We decided on the kind of truck that we liked.”[embedded content]Wild Honey Flower Truck is blooming in Birmingham from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.When they found a potential truck in Ohio, Sizemore sent her father-in-law to check it out. When it earned a thumbs-up, they had the truck towed to Birmingham.“We started the process of really transforming the truck into something that could house the flowers,” she said.That meant a paint job, building out the back to carry flower vases and adding an awning.Next came procuring flowers by working with wholesalers, flower markets and other dealers.With the truck ready and outfitted with flowers, the only decision was where to go to sell them.“We just sought out the places that we really like to go,” Sizemore said.That could mean being outside of the Pizitz building one day and in Woodlawn the next.You can also find Wild Honey Food Truck at the West Homewood Farmer’s Market every Tuesday night this summer.The warmer weather and opening of seasonal markets and festivals has made for a busy time for Wild Honey Flower Truck, which started sales in November.“This is our first... https://alabamanewscenter.com/2019/06/28/wild-honey-flower-truck-is-birminghams-florist-on-wheels/

The Alchemy of Flowers at Wild Things Flowers & Curiosities - StyleBlueprint

Flowers can change people. Florist Carolyn Chen sees this firsthand every day at her Homewood shop, Wild Things Flowers & Curiosities, where each arrangement is prepared with the giver’s heartfelt message to their recipient — moving messages for friends grappling with illness, grief or just a bad day; sweet personal notes to lovers; and celebratory congrats for new babies, anniversaries and birthdays. Flowers bring people back into the moment, connecting them to the one who sent the blossoms and making them smile. And they don’t just lighten the heart of the recipient, they bring joy to the giver, fulfillment to the creative florist, and even newfound confidence to the floral workshop student.“I think they are a reminder of the fact that we live on Earth” says Carolyn. “We go about our days among the hustle and bustle that we’ve created with businesses, industry, and technology, and we’re so immersed that we forget that we’re all human beings on an organic planet. So when something like a death brings you ba... https://styleblueprint.com/birmingham/everyday/wild-things-birmingham-florist/

Blooming brilliant Ramsgate flower shop gains place in exclusive Good Florist Guide - The Isle of Thanet News

York Street Flowers is in the exclusive guideRamsgate’s florist York Street Flowers has been crowned as one of the UK’s best floristsThe business has been accepted into the exclusive Good Florist Guide, the gold standard of floristry and the only merit-based guide to the finest florists in the UK and Republic of Ireland.Acknowledged as the ‘little black book’ of the very best British and Irish florists, York Street Flowers were awarded the prestigious accolade last week.Owner Karen Harvey said: “We are delighted to be accepted into the Good Florist Guide. We are passionate about flowers, design, quality and the service we give to each of our customers so it is wonderful to have this recognised.”To be part of the guide, florists undergo a rigorous evaluation process before being approved. York Street Flowers submitted a detailed description of the floristry business, including the range available and services offered as well as images of the business premises,  design work, their team and even the delivery vehicle! It was then assessed... https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2019/11/19/blooming-brilliant-ramsgate-flower-shop-gains-place-in-exclusive-good-florist-guide/

Saturdays bring freshness at the farmers market - The Tide

Her favorite part of the market is by far the diversity of things for sale.“The variety’s really extraordinary here. The variety of cheese, the variety of microgreens, the variety of mushrooms—this florist here specializes in kind of unusual flowers—so it’s all stuff you just can’t find anywhere else,” she said.Photo by Victoria TongA variety of fresh produce appears at the farmers market each week.As the aroma of freshly baked scones, roasted coffee and handmade empanadas floats through the air, many shoppers flock towards the various businesses selling prepared goods. Charlie’s Empanadas attracts lines with their golden-brown empanadas, the beef, chicken, ham or spinach stuffed inside ready to burst out after one bite. Grandma Vera’s Bakery is a mainstay at the market with their gigantic scones a broad mix of imaginative flavors, and both customers and other vendors can be spotted with a steaming cup of Zeke’s Coffee in hand.Wander to the far end of the market, and a pleasant hubbub of conversation will fill the air at Scenic View Orchard’s expansive stand. A vibrant spectrum of pumpkins, pears, apples, sweet potatoes and more, as well as a brilliant rainbow of flowers, peers out from underneath multiple white tents while customers mosey around an extensive selection of product.Scenic View Orchard is another veteran of the market, having been a vendor at Rockville for at least 25 years. In addition to the beautiful fruits and vegetables displayed within their main tent, Scenic View also sells “seconds,” produce that may not be quite as pretty as their more photogenic brethren. “We sell [these] at a cheaper rate, and a lot of people like the seconds because they don’t care what it looks like. It tastes the same,” employee Wayne Masser said.“I’m glad to see that there are local farmers still thriving. And I’ll support that any day.”— Marci MaclinThe wide variety of goods on sale, the freshness of the fruits and vegetables and the tempting food selection are hardly the only outstanding features of the market. All of the vendors are incredibly friendly and willing to chat about their products, and even give cooking advice and insider tips on selecting the best produce. “Grocery stores kind of stress me out,” Nora Lyle, who runs the stand for King Mushrooms Farm, said. “With the farmers market, it’s kind of relaxing. You can take your time and get your coffee in the morning, and people will be a lot more helpful to you than at a grocery store. It’s more personal.”Linda Miller agrees. She works for Keswick Creamery, whose tent at the market houses at least 20 different kinds of cheese and offers free samples of them all. Unusual cheeses among her selection include hot and spicy Dragon’s Breath, soft and crumbly Bovre, and quark, a German-style cream cheese. “I think when you come to the market, you get to talk to the person that was actually producing the product, so it’s very intimate—it’s not like the grocery store and you have no clue where... https://thermtide.com/8970/features/saturdays-bring-freshness-at-the-farmers-market/

Champion florist to create Carnival of Flowers installation - Chronicle

BART Hassam's love of minimalist and intricate floral designs has won him international acclaim, and his next project will be spicing up this year's Carnival of Flowers. The florist, who is the current Interflora World Cup champion, will create a floral installation for the opening weekend in Queens Park. "It's always wonderful to come up to Toowoomba to be part of the festival," Mr Hassam said at yesterday's launch. "We get to do large installations of floral design which you don't get to do in your normal shop. "It's a great piece of work that involves the public, they get to walk through it, and they are usually of a grand scale." Mr Hassam, who grew up in Bundaberg, said his grandmother's garden was his first inspiration. "She put me into small floral art competitions when I was young," he said. "When I was 13 I made my first wedding bouquet and it grew from there." Mr Hassam is also five-time Australian Florist of the Year and has won the Asian Cup of Floral Design. "Coming from Bundaberg, the materials that I use are sub-tropical," he said. "The wonderful thing about Toowoomba is you can grow a Heliconia and a Camellia. "I can use both trop... https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/champion-florist-to-create-carnival-of-flowers-ins/3715089/

Milton Arts Guild to host Creating Paper Flowers Artful Touch workshop - Milford Beacon

Participants will craft paper roses great for any occasion. Gannon guides the class through the ins and outs of crafting these blooms. Participants should bring paper, scissors and a roll of green florist tape. All other materials will be provided.Advance registration is $30 members, $40 nonmembers, available at miltonartsguild.org. Guests may also register by calling 242-8420 or 632-7868 or emailing lbraswell23@gmail.com or lyndaraeg@gmail.com.MAG Artful Touch classes explore new techniques and topics in a “no pressure” environment making these classes a great way to try something new.For more, visit miltonartsguild.org. ... https://www.milfordbeacon.com/news/20191105/milton-arts-guild-to-host-creating-paper-flowers-artful-touch-workshop

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